Changeable sign.



GJS TAR.

'CHANGEABLE SIGN. I

- APPLICATION FILEDJULY II 914.

1,142,777. PatentedJuIie 8, 1915,

entor Attorneys UNITED s'rarns rsrireri onsiion.

GEQRGE' STAR, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGN'OR OF ONE-THIRD TO MARTIN SILBER- STEIN AND ONE-THIRD TO PHILLIP WAGNER, BOTH 01* DAVENPORT, IGXVA.

CHANGEABLE sien.

orbulletin bdard and aims primarily to provide a sign composed of a plurality of similar and superposed slats whereby the sign may be economically manufactured in various sizes, p

A further object is to construct a sign of metal, thus insuring a long life for the sign and allowing it to be reconstructed or re assembled, at any time in order to vary its dimensions as desired.

Another object is to provide a sign upon which the lettersor characters are detach- .ably hung, the support for the characters being composed of a plurality of superposed and interengaging slats identical in form. v

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the inventi0n resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction her .inafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made Within the scope-0f What is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the d rawings accompanying this speci iication and forming a part thereof, the pre terred embodiment-Tot the invention has been illustrated.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a view in elevation of iny improved sign. Fig 2 is a view in perspective of two of the superimposed interengaging and letter supporting sluts. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.

' i. lig. 5 a view in perspective of one of the hanging character bearing members.

lteieriiing to the drawings in which SiIIii' lnr reference numerals designate correspond ing parts throughout the several views, the construction COIIIPIQhOiHlS a frame (3 cornposed of the corner members 7, to which are secured the s des 8, top 9, and bottom 10.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 19152 Application filed July 11, 1914. Serial No. 850,393.

These various frame members have, as illus trated in Figs. 2 and 3, been depicted. as substantially se1ni-cylindrical in cross sectional con-tour and including a Woodeniiller or body 11. "iiowevenit is to be noted that the exact shape or configuration of these frame members may be varied as desired, the only requisite being that they present neat and attractive appearance.

The frame members are provided wits the rearwardly opening continiu us groove 13 extending tl'ierearound, to thus receive the various slats and channel members which constitute the support "for the character bearing members therein and effect concealed joint therewith. The support for the character bearing members, which constitute the centrai portion of the sign, is formed of a plurality of superposed slats 15, extending substantially horizontal, and with their ends disposed withinand secured to suitable channels 14, the latter being arranged in an upright manner and secured Within the grooves 13 of the side members 8 of the frame. The construction of these slats is illustrated in detail in Fig. 2,'wherein it Will be observed'that each slat is formed with a body portion 16, and. with a downwardly and rearwardly projecting flange 17 along the upper extremity there-- of. Fine iower extremity of the body portion 16 carries the downwardly and roan Wardiy projecting flange i8 the iou er extren of which is bent forwardly to fine a shelf 19 ada 'ited to receive and port thereon the tango 17 of a subjiacent slat. The free edge of the sheif l9 terrainates a distance from the vertical plane of the outer face of the body portion 16 equal to the thickness of the slat muteriai, per mitting these faces in subj ace-nit slats to bring in the srne vertical plane.' A back plate 26 is rigidly secured to the frame members and holds the channels and the siats-in their fixed position and rigid reiation. The sup: port for the character beziriiig inenib l thus be made up of a piiu-ality of spaced verticei faces "21 between which extend the downwardiy enlarging rec sfl This construction allows the reference, act-er bearing members to be upon the upper extremity of in readily detached therefronn flhecharacter bcari 13g ineinbersi in 25 I longitudinal recesses, and character bearing members having flanges adapted to project may be varied according to. the usage to Whldll thesign is to be placed and the size of the sign may be readily changed by removing the sides 8 of the frame and substituting longer sides therefor and-adding a number of slats to those already present I in the construction, with suitable channel lengths for the securement of their ends.

Having thus fully described the invention, What I claim is 1. A device of the class described, cdm

prising a frame, a plurality of superposed horizontally extending slats depending one from the other'and engaged at their extremities by said. frame, said slats having their lower portions depressed forming into said recesses.

2. A changeable sign comprising a frame, channel shaped members supported at the sides thereof, a plurality of superposed slats with their extremities disposed within the said channel shaped members-said slats provided with lower rearwardly and'downwardly extending portions defining recesses with the subjacent slats, and a plurality of character bearing members adapted to removably enter said recesses and to extend downwardly therefrom.

3. A support for sign characters, comprising spaced channehshaped stiles, aplurality of interengaging superposed horizontally extending slats with their extremities disposed within the said stiles to hold the slats in fixed relation, each slat including a rearwardly-and downwardly extending upper flan go, a substantially vertical body portion, a rearwardly and downwardly extendin'g flange, and a forwardly projecting shelf carried at the lower extremity of the latter,

said shelf interlocking with and supporting the flange of the subjacent slat.

at. A slat for signs, comprising a plane bory portion, the upper extremity of said bo y portion being bent rearwardly and downwardly and forming a supporting member, the lower edge of the body portion being bent rearwardly and downwardly and forming a flange, the lower edge of said flange being bent forwardly and defining a shelf.

5. In combination, a sign board comprising a series of interengaging slats depending one from the other and provided with interlocking flanges extending from the top and bottom edges thereof, andcharacter bearing members adapted to "detachably hang rom the topilanges of said slats.

6. In combination, a sign board compris--.

ing a series of interengaging slats, each provided with flanges on opposlte edges, the flange on one edge ext-ending in an opposite direction from the flange on the opposite .edge, adjacent slats being interlocked by means of said flanges-and character bearing members adapted to detachably engage and hang from said slats,

7. In a device of the class described, a frame work, slats, depending one from the other, each comprising a body portion, with the front and rear faces of its upper half lying in parallel vertical planes and having, substantially, the lower half bent rearwardly out of the said planes, and a flange extending forwardly from the lower edge thereof and terminating in the vertical plane of tl'ie'rear faceof said upper half, thereby providing a longitudinal recess in the slat; means on the upper portion of each slat adapted to support said slat on the flange of the next slat above, and character bearing members having flanges adapted to project into said recess.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE STAR.

Witnesses.

Ros! J. Knannnivi-ronr'r PHIL. WAGNER. 

